Story by
Browns fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, offensive line coach Andy Dickerson
- Story by
- Browns fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, offensive line coach Andy Dickerson
BEREA — The changes have begun for the Browns after their dismal 3-14 season .
The Browns fired both offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson after just one season on the job. Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the previously reported firings in his day-after-the-season news conference.
Advertisement
"Just bottom line, I want to go in a different direction," Stefanski said Sunday. "We need to improve, as everybody knows, on the offensive side of the ball . That's what we plan to do."
Stefanski, when asked about any other changes to the offensive staff, said, "I don't anticipate any major changes." He also said he would be open to also hiring a separate quarterbacks coach but he "need to work through all of that."
The Browns concluded their season Saturday night with a 35-10 loss at Baltimore . Cleveland will pick No. 2 in the draft thanks to a win by New England over Buffalo and a loss by Tennessee to Houston .
The Browns finishing their season a day before the non-AFC North teams meant they couldn't reach out to get permission to make contact with possible coaching candidates. Although Stefanski should have an idea of coaches he'll want to talk to, he also doesn't have a specific type.
Advertisement
"Yeah, it's early," Stefanski said. "So [we] need to work through all of that. I think we'll talk to a bunch of different guys and get some different perspectives, but there's a lot of work to be done there."
Both Dorsey and Dickerson were part of a massive offensive staff shakeup by Stefanski after the Browns' 11-6 playoff season a year ago. The former replaced Alex Van Pelt, who was fired shortly after the season and is now with the Patriots, while Dickerson replace Bill Callahan, who left to serve as the offensive line coach under his son, Brian, in Tennessee.
The Browns offense was at the center of the team's woes throughout the season. They finished the season averaging 15.2 points, which is last in the NFL, while only scoring more than 18 points in a game three times.
Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, right, watches as new quarterback Bailey Zappe warms up before a game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland.
The scoring output was a by-product of an offense that, entering Sunday, was 28th in total yards per game (300.8), 31st in yards per play (4.57), 28th in rushing yards (94.6), 20th in passing yards (206.2), 30th in interception rate (3.48%) and 17th in first downs (17.8). Many of those statistics actually went up for a stretch when quarterback Jameis Winston replaced the injured Deshaun Watson in Week 8 against the Ravens, but another factor played a big role in the offense's struggles.
Advertisement
As a team, the Browns threw 22 interceptions, including two by Bailey Zappe on Saturday, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Zappe was the fourth starting quarterback for the team. All four seemed to have the same issues with ball security.
Winston threw 12 interceptions in seven starts. Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw six in two starts and seven total appearances, while Watson had three in seven starts before tearing his Achilles.
It was Watson's injury that led to a shift in philosophy on game day by Stefanski, who turned play-calling duties over to Dorsey. At the time, the Browns offense ranked 32nd in total yards (253.9) and third-down conversion rate (23.7%), 30th in passing (159.6), 29th in points per game (15.6) and tied for 28th in rush offense (94.3).
Dorsey had been hired in part because it was believed he could help bring something to the offensive philosophy that would help unlock the full potential of Watson, to whom the Browns gave a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022 after acquiring him from the Texans . Dorsey, himself a former quarterback, had worked previously with Cam Newton in Carolina and Josh Allen in Buffalo and was there when they had MVP or near-MVP seasons.
Advertisement
That work never seemed to show up on the field. At the time of his season-ending injury in Week 7, Watson was 26th in passer rating (79) and touchdown percentage (2.3%), 25th in passing yards (1,148), tied for 25th in TD passes (five), 29th in yards per attempt (5.31) and was sacked 33 times.
Browns offensive line coach Andy Dickerson, right, watches drills during minicamp, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Berea.
Winston did elevate the passing offense significantly. However, his propensity for turning the football over — including eight interceptions in his final three starts — prevented the Browns from coming close to maximizing any growth in production.
Dickerson had been one of the individuals also interviewed for the offensive coordinator's position when Van Pelt, along with multiple other offensive assistants, were let go in the week after an AFC wild card loss in Houston. When Callahan left to join his son with the Titans, the move was made to hire the former Seattle Seahawks assistant who had worked under Callahan with the New York Jets in both 2008 and 2011.
Advertisement
By the end of the season, former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns, was almost like a de facto offensive line coach in trying to assist with that group. Assistant line coach Roy Istvan also was very hands on with the coaching as well.
The move from Callahan, considered one of the elite line coaches in the game, to Dickerson was compounded by a litany of injuries along the offensive line throughout training camp and well into the season. The Browns ended up starting eight different offensive line combinations, including seven in the first eight games.
Left guard Joel Bitonio was the lone Browns offensive lineman to not miss a game this season. The other four spots dealt with a constant churn over the first half of the season that only created more issues for Dickerson.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., an impending free agent , only played five games because of knee injuries, while promising tackle Dawand Jones had his second season in a row ended early with an injury, this time a broken ankle in Week 11. Right tackle Jack Conklin missed the first five games while returning from last season's knee injury, followed by a hamstring issue, but played well once back in the lineup.
Advertisement
Right guard Wyatt Teller also missed time because of a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve and forced third-round pick Zak Zinter to play much sooner than was hoped. Center Nick Harris suffered a broken ankle two plays into his only start in Week 6 at Philadelphia .
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ken Dorsey, Andy Dickerson fired by Browns after one season
